How Schools and Tuition Centers Are Gearing Up for an Online Education
By Space Coast Daily // May 5, 2020
A growing number of schools, tuition centers, colleges, and universities are cancelling in-person classes and shifting to online learning due to fears of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some schools are even asking students to leave their campuses.
Medical advisers have placed pressures on the educational institutions to take action because of spring break, as it is the period when students travel a lot.
Many officials fear that students traveling during the spring break period may lead to more Coronavirus cases as there is a much higher risk for the virus to spread on campuses occupied by students.
School, college, and university leaders are therefore enlisting technology and seeking more long-term solutions they can implement quickly to transition to remote learning. For some, it seems easier. However, for others, it is not without challenges.
Established Familiarity
Some institutions like those providing JC economics tuition online have quickly transitioned to remote learning mainly because they were already familiar with the necessary considerations, teaching approaching, and tools with online learning. For such institutions, the transition has resulted in less disruption for many students.
However, Not Every Institution is Prepared
It is important to note that many schools and tuition centers aren’t prepared or trained to move to remote learning. They are therefore scrambling to redesign their present methods for tutoring as well as their courses for the remote learning experience.
These institutions are gearing up for an online education by implementing various strategies. For example, some are resorting to copy-pasting, which is an in-person lecture format to an online class.
However, it is not very effective because what works for face-to-face, in-person interactions often doesn’t translate when students are remote.
Another method some institutions are implementing is the captioning of all videos for online courses. This is a much better strategy as captions are proven to help with student engagement and retention.
Apart from this, some schools and tuition centers, including various economics tuition centers in Singapore, are utilizing captions live via Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) services to provide captions and transcripts to students in real-time.
The Biggest Challenge: Assessment
Assessment is arguably the biggest challenge for schools and tuition centers when transitioning to online education. Most teachers and tutors struggle with how to proctor and administer tests and exams, or assess activities such as performances, speeches, and presentations that usually occur in-person in the classroom.
Some institutions are tackling these challenges with both technology-based and instructional solutions. For instance, designing tests for timed, open-book conditions, reducing concerns with regards to cheating via online proctoring tools, etc.
Unfortunately, in emergencies like the current pandemic, there is little time for every institution to explore and implement these solutions.
The Bright Spot: Learning How to Use Technology
Once the Coronavirus crisis is over, because of increased confidence and experience with using the necessary tools, more teachers may become more likely to take advantage of technology.
Even though the experience may not immediately lead to more students enrolling in online learning, it may make more students consider online programs in the long-run.
In the end, schools, colleges, tuition centers, and universities will likely end up being better prepared to teach online in the future – whether that’s under an emergency basis or planned circumstances.
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